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A Brief History of Hair Loss Treatments

We perhaps think of hair loss as a modern problem, but it is something that people have always been concerned about. It is even mentioned in the Bible. The book of Kings, chapter 2 v 23 tells of Elisha being taunted because of his baldness. Many will know the old story of Samson who was said to loose his mighty strength when he lost his hair, and regain it when he re-grew it again.

In ancient times hair loss was considered to equate with a loss of virility and we know that the ancient Egyptians tried to overcome the problem in various ways. It wasn’t only a masculine problem. Here are just some of ‘cures’ tried by Ses, the mother of a Greek pharaoh – toes of a dog, refuse of dates and hoof of an ass.

In 4,000 B.C. Hippocrates, the father of medicine recommended a mixture of cumin, pigeon droppings, horse radish and beetroot or nettles. Even in quite recent times there are those who would recommend rubbing in a solution of chicken droppings – but chickens definitely don’t grow hair!

There have been literally thousands of ‘cures’ tried over many thousands of years from aloe vera to mandrake root and castor oil. Some were rubbed in, some inhaled, others swallowed – and only by chance did they seem to work.

Some people tried other methods – Both Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte grew their hair longer at the back and combed it over, and there have been wig makers from earliest times. This may be seen as vanity, but hair loss can result in loss of confidence and self esteem, especially perhaps those who constantly interact with members of the public.

Only in much more recent times has research finally been able to more fully analyse the problems and bring some help to sufferers. If you are completely bald there is little you can do other than wear a hairpiece or a hat but if you are just starting to lose your hair you now have the choice whether or not you want to retain your hair. Now there are a wide range of effective hair loss products available that are clinically proven to stop and even to some extent reverse hair loss. Make sure you know what choices are available for you!